Last night I blogged about the panther and black bear sightings in our neighborhood. Well, guess what Ryan and I saw on our way home from the gym this morning?
A coyote.
All I could think about when I saw the coyote is how thankful I am that nothing happened to Sadie on the morning that she briefly went missing and I nearly had a heart attack.
I’ve always known that we live relatively close to the Ocala National Forest, but I’m beginning to realize just how close we really do live to some legitimately scary wildlife.
I may have to strap some bear pepper spray to Sadie’s collar so she’s as protected as Ryan and I are when we hike.
I always hike with pepper spray and a bear bell which cracks Ryan up.
(I have the blue one!)
I whip out my bear bell and jingle it whenever I hear any rustling in the forest that might indicate a large animal. Ryan looks at me like I’m a looney, but if my little sleigh bell keeps us safe, I’ll jingle it all the live long day.
Workout
Before the coyote sighting, Ryan and I hit the gym for a quality workout.
My gym time began with 20 minutes on the elliptical before I completed three rounds of a circuit workout from the Best Body Boot Camp program. I switched up the order of the boot camp workouts this week a bit since I’ll be on vacation Thursday through Sunday. I figure I’m more likely to get some cardio exercise in the form of snorkeling and beach walks on the cruise than any strength training, so the beginning of this week was dedicated to strength and circuit style workouts.
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning was a toasted honey wheat bagel topped with muenster cheese, two fried eggs and strawberry jelly.
The best part is always the melted cheese!
This morning I’m blasting Pandora and getting in the work zone before taking time to pack, eat lunch and hit the road for St. Pete with Ryan this afternoon!
‘Til lunchtime…
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I think the bear bell is a great safety tool. I would be using it constantly 🙂 so exciting that it is almost cruise time!!
Your breakfast always looks like a win. Be SAFE!
do you broil your cheese/bagel to make it look so melty and wonderful??? i need your secret!!!
i use a toaster oven!
hehe toaster ovens are zeee best!! It’s probably my MOST used kitchen appliance next to the coffee maker 😀 And hiking is no joke! fun but filled with risks
You should put a bear bell on Sadie!!! That would keep her safe!
I second this! We put a bell on our dog when we are out in the woods. Since she is always moving, there is always a sound being made. I can’t imagine a dog maneuvering in way that would allow them to use pepper spray that is on their collar. 😉
or a leash?
That is scary with all of that wildlife so close to you! At least you protect yourself. That is the most important thing.
Love the bagel sandwich! Have a safe drive! 🙂
Ahhhh coyotes scare me! They are so gnarly and hungry looking!!! You keep jingling that bell!!!
my goodness, all sorts of wildlife in your area lately!! i’d be scared silly! those bear bells are pretty neat. haha i’d be doing the same thing if i were you.
looks like your egg, cheesy, & jelly sandwiches are back! 😉
Yikes, be careful! My dog was killed a few months ago by coyotes (in our own backyard) so they definitely come close, but I think if you’re making noise they should stay away.
And your breakfast looks delicious!
i’m so sorry, emma. 🙁 that is absolutely terrible. dogs really are part of the family. we will definitely be extra-cautious.
Omg I would be so scared! That’s some big wildlife!!
Hahaha the bear bell cracks me up!
I grew up on a river and on nice days during the summer wed always see lots of tourists (this was in alaska) floating down in kayaks or canoes and they would ask how the conditions were further down. which at the time there was a big logjam that required getting out and walking the canoe part of the way. My dad being the jokester that he was would always freak them out and tell them he hoped they had their bear bells!! haha
oh wow! We found a lot of baby spiders last week and then found a black widow at the same spot this week, tried to kill it, got away. I am now terrified. If I knew there were coyotes, bears, and panthers OH MY! I would freak! I would be dangling with bells all day everyday lol!
Jeez!!!! That’s so scary!!
The bear bell is hilarious, but definitely necessary I’m sure! I’m still so happy Sadie was safe that day–you can’t be too cautious with the little ones 🙂
There have been a few bears on the loose in Pittsburgh in the past – the local news stations seem to love it!
Oh, I am so jealous of your upcoming cruise! Cruises are my absolute favorite way to vacation. Can’t wait to hear all about it and see the pictures from American night!! Have fun!!
You are going to have so much fun, Julie!
PS. I may have watched the Director’s Cut Extended Justin Bieber: Never Say Never last night…and GUESS WHAT?! He has a Vizsla!
Coyotes are usually more scared of humans then humans are of them … but with Sadie, it’s good to keep extra care. I like the bell – keep jingling it, girl 🙂
weird question but as you work from home, do you actually get dressed for the day or write in the pjs?
🙂
i usually work in yoga pants or capris and a tank top or t-shirt. 🙂
So glad I’m eating an egg sandwich while I read this….love the combo of eggs and guacamole!
That sounds so good! Do you make your own guacamole?
I make a lazy girl’s version: mashed avocado, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and lemon juice! It’s a divine combo!
Sounds great! Thanks. 🙂 I love mixing mashed avocado with some salsa for a lazy girl version also!
Just remember that pepper spray isn’t the weapon to use on animals. I used to run with it all the time, because I had some close calls with stray dogs. Well, I found out that pepper spray does nothing to them because they don’t have tear ducts. ;/ I’m guessing it’s the same with coyotes and bears. Maybe you should carry a pocket knife instead. Lol. 😉
oh wow! i actually have a pepper spray specifically made for bears, so hopefully that would work in a bad situation.
Not that I don’t think the bear bell is a good idea, but I’m totally laughing over here at the visual of you ringing that thing in the middle of the woods at the slightest rustle. 😉
I counseled at a camp in Juneau, Alaska several years ago, and we always had to watch out for bears. There were two types, one that noise scared away, and the other that we were supposed to be really still if we saw them. We had bells that we could wear to scare them away, but I always thought that was kind of silly, b/c I don’t think I could have known the difference between the two kinds. Thankfully, I never saw one!
I’ve never even heard of a bear bell – guess I should google it! 🙂
Julie, be careful if you ever go running outside with those crazy animal sightings! One of my best friend had a really bad run-in (literally) with a coyote in her neighborhood on her morning run about a month ago. He completely blindsided her from behind and how do I put this..err…wasn’t exactly in the best mood. For the most part they stay away from humans but you just never know.
Eh..those animals would scare me! Be careful!
A bear bell and bear pepper spray!? I didn’t even know they made such things!!! I guess that’s what I get for being a city girl for 99% of my life. Although now that I live in the country, I guess I should pay more attention to these things. The craziest animal I’ve seen around here is an escaped cow though, and they aren’t exactly the most vicious creatures. haha.
My coworker and I are blasting 90s pop on pandora. Its awesome! No chumbawumba yet though. Darn.
Ring that bell!!! It’s no joke – I am the loudest hiker EVER when I’m in bear populated areas. Your breakfast sandwich is giving me cravings! Yummmm
Yikes! A coyote sighting would totally freak me out!
OH my goodness! I would wear the bell too!
Breakfast looks yummy as usual! 🙂
I usually find strawberry jelly too sweet…what brand/kind do you use? Thanks!!
I had a similar breakfast today too! SOOOO tasty. I love strawberry jam!
That bell thing is hilarious. Who knew someone would use that?! 🙂
Ha, we have quite a few coyotes that live in our neighborhood, and one of them likes to follow my dog and I on our runs at dusk! She stays an easy 100 feet away but I think she wants to make sure I know to stay out of her area. Gladly!
PS I hike here with bells all the time to keep bears and mountain lions away. You’re not nuts! 🙂
Coyotes typically aren’t a problem for humans. I see them when I’m running frequently. Typically they just run away. Although they would be dangerous for Sadie. Bears and panthers on the other hand- yikes! We don’t have bears where I live in Texas but wild hogs are everywhere and they scare the living daylights out of me!
Good grief, that’s a lot of wildlife! I would totally be carrying pepper spray and a bell too, tell Ryan he’ll think crazy if y’all ever actually do see anything!!
Five or so years ago there were coyotes around my area, and when I would run I would always tell my parents to come searching for me if I wasn’t home in half an hour or so because it probably meant the coyotes had got me 😛 . Thankfully the most exotic wildlife I ever actually encountered were deer (although I was chased/befriended by a dog once, which was quite the adventure!)
Yowza! Last year in Ohio, a bunch of animals escaped from this small little zoo on a guy’s property. Can you imagine driving down the street and seeing a lion cross the road??
Scariest moment is when you yell for your dog and they don’t come back. I think those have been almost heart attack induced situations.
we don’t see too many wild animals in the city, but I did see a raccoon the other morning! I ran fast because I’ve heard they’re nasty creatures haha
Your breakfast bagel-witches deserve its own name. Sooo droolworthy!
Does living so closely to the wilderness sometimes make you want to move?
I would constantly fear for my pup’s safety! but at least you’re home all the time to keep her safe 🙂 and honestly… I wonder if panthers would want to chase down Sadie, and all of her insanity!
(I think you guys should be safe from @home bear attacks, but when you step onto their turf.. who knows!)
I spend a lot of time hiking and running in Boulder and am REALLY good at freaking myself out-I always think I hear/see mountain lions or bears. So far so good-but I totally understand your fear!
Is it your intention to lose weight with the bootcamp? I’m asking because I was reading another woman’s blog, and she is also participating, and she was reporting on how much weight she’d lost thus far. I think you’re great the way you are, and truly don’t think you need to lose anyyy weight, but was just wondering what your intent was with the bootcamp.
We have a lot of coyotes in our area, and I used to be so scared of them when I was younger. I had nightmares that they would climb in my second-story window and kidnap me ha. Maybe I need a coyote bell. 🙂
The bear bell cracks me up! We have all kinds of wildlife where we live – the other night we went biking a little too late and ended up out when the bobcats were roaming – that freaked me out like the dickens
I always thought of carry pepper spray with me, but at the same time I fear it would take out the intimate soul searching time with nature. And it sucks I would have to think of bring such a thing. But on the other hand… if a situation arose of any kind, I would be loving that pepper spray.
Bear bell? (say that 10 times fast – I said beer). never heard of one. I’d use it though. Doesn’t bother Sadie?
I’m going to try jelly on my next egg and cheese sandwich! I always have an egg for breakfast (unless I have oatmeal) because it keeps me full ’til lunch, but often I want some sweetness. Then I’m torn because a separate egg with toast just isn’t the same as a sandwich…
Panthers in Florida?! Yikes!! I had no idea there was such an abundance of wildlife! I don’t mean to sound like a know-it-all, but coming from the Rockies, bear bells are strongly discouraged as a safety gimmick. (You can always pick the tourists out of the hiking crowds, haha) Because bells aren’t an organic sound and whistles sound like prey (squirrels, etc) it sparks curiosity in bears & mtn lions. Your voice is the best defense… and spray… 🙂
What does the bell do to the bear?
i seriously need to get pepper spray, but i thought it was illegal is massachusetts.. maybe i made that up, but i swear someone told me that… or maybe i’m just gullible!
i usually forgo hikes in the conservation land (literally behind my house) and go to the gym instead because i’m afraid of coyotes and deer!
Be safe!!
My husband always laughs at me when I use the bear bell or sing really loudly when I hear rustling. I say better safe than sorry!